RCs didnt work...

[Arngeir]

I was in the bathroom with my friend and I asked him if it was a dream and he just stared at me funny. I did the finger to palm and it just pushed my skin in really far, then I looked at myself in the mirror and i looked disfigured. I held my nose and closed my mouth and i could still breath. All this time I didn't realize it was a dream and never became lucid. Can someone explain to me why?

[Hukif]

Because you did the RCs without questioning whether it was a dream or not... doing mindless RCs will just make you do them in a dream mindlessly <.<

[Arngeir]

yes i think you're right

[ryman]

Yea, hukif is right. I have had this happen to me before. I've also had reality checks fail to work at all even though I knew I was dreaming, so I had to start doing a new RCs

[Dark_Merlin]

Because you did the RCs without questioning whether it was a dream or not... doing mindless RCs will just make you do them in a dream mindlessly <.< Exactly right Reality checks to me are less about the actual outcome of the test and more the concentration and awareness you put into them. I've been fooled by RC's before when they tell me that I am 'not dreaming' but I've been able to continue and be aware myself that I was definitely in a dream. When you are performing your reality checks during the day, make sure that you are really questioning reality. What were you doing 15 minutes ago? How'd you get to where you are? Does anything seem odd around you? Can you push your finger through your palm? What can you see and hear around you? Does gravity work as it should? These are all really rapid-fire questions that you can perform all at once as one big intense burst of awareness, or you can simmer it down to a long extended period of heightened awareness of what is around you. What is important is that you truly question reality, and don't rely solely on the reality checks themselves, but also your thoughts, awareness and attitude

[Arngeir]

thank you.

[Highlander]

Hi Guys, I didn't want to start a 'new' thread on the same topic so I thought I would share my experience from this morning: In my short dream I had recognised a dreamsign, then gone outside noticing the bright sunlight and warmth on my face which made me start to question if this was a 'dream'. In the back garden in this dream I too tried the two same RC checks (and in the same order) as the OP, where the checks indicated that I wasn't dreaming, (e.g. exactly the same result as if you were doing the checks in reality.) However In my head I knew I was dreaming. I couldn't believe how 'real' the dream was. This got me frustrated. Due to this inconsistency between the RC results and me still knowing they were wrong in regard to it being a dream woke me up just after. In my case, during the waking day I do try to get into trying the odd RC (like the two examples beforehand) but I wouldn't say that I did them 'mindlessly'. However the only reason I think that I had this inconsistency is that doing RC techniques is relatively new to me, as I have always relied on just noticing something 'odd' in the dream to tell me, if you see what I mean. One of my techniques is general 'awareness' in the waking world - using observation, then questioning this in my head. In regard's to the OP's experience is that you mind can play funny little tricks on you. Athough you didn't realise it was a dream you must give credit to yourself that you subconsciously did the checks in the first place. Happy Easter!